News & Insight

About Us

Our vision is to foster a more responsible drinking culture and ultimately a safer and healthier community, so that everyone can enjoy our streets without fear or intimidation of a violent and often unprovoked attack. It's every Australian's right to be able to enjoy our beautiful cities without undue peer pressure and crime.

Our Foundation directors and advisory team includes representatives from drug and alcohol research, health, education, community and business.

FOUNDATION: PATRON

Allan Sparkes - Foundation Patron

Allan Sparkes CV, OAM, VA

Allan Sparkes is one of Australia’s most highly decorated citizens and is also a Deputy Commissioner of the Mental Health Commission of NSW. He is only one of five Australians in the past 42 years to receive Australia’s highest bravery decoration and civilian award, the Cross of Valour. Allan has also been awarded the Commendation for Brave Conduct, for saving the life of an Aboriginal man who had fallen onto the path of an oncoming train at Redfern Railway Station in 2014. On Australia Day in 2017 Allan was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) for service to Mental Health Support organisations and the community. Allan is one of only 10 Australians to receive the Queens Diamond Jubilee Medal.Read More.

Ralph Kellyis the father of Thomas. Initially with the support of a friend and then as CEO of the Thomas Kelly Youth Foundation, Ralph has pro-actively campaigned for behavioral change in the community, social support for victims of violence as well as violence protection. This has resulted in the provision of Take Kare Safe Spaces in the Sydney CBD, a Financial Hardship Victim Support program through the Department of Justice and a soon to be implemented UNSW research study of the Safe Space programs. Read More

Justin Greiner - Board Chairperson

Justin Greiner's experience spans over 20 years across Banking, Advisory, Wealth Management and Retail. Justin is a values-centred leader with a strong track-record of strategy development and delivery, people engagement and transformational change.

Justin is currently the CEO of JBWere Australia and New Zealand, and oversees more than $50b in Funds Under Advice. Read More

Simon McGrath - Board MemberDirector of Strategy

Simon McGrath brings a wealth of experience in strategic development and management of corporate and organisational growth as well as excellent input into our Take Kare initiatives. Simon is currently the Chief Operating Officer of Accor Hotels – Pacific. He currently oversees the operation of 250 hotels, employing over 11,000 employees with annual revenue of over 1.6 billion. He has extensive experience in the development and implementation of strategic initiatives and driving performance measures. Read More

Kathy Kelly - Co FounderDirector Kelly Family

Kathy Kelly is the mother of Thomas. Kathy is an advocate for behavioural change in the community, harm reduction and the provision of social support for victims of violence. She sees communication, prevention and education as key platforms supporting the drive for social change. Kathy is able to provide powerful advocacy for the Foundation as she engages with people from across the community, communicates social issues from the heart and motivates action to create change. She is a firm believer in the need to take a pro-active approach to exploring and implementing strategies for harm reduction.

Natalie Zelinsky - Executive Officer

Elizabeth Broderick - Advisory Board

Professor Peter Miller - Advisory Board

Howard Brown - Advisory Board

David Anstee - information coming soon.

Mark Langsworth - Deputy Chairperson Director of Governance

Mark Langsworth is an experienced Banking and Finance Senior Managing Director, with over 30 years of experience in the Australian financial markets. Mark's roles have encompassed trading, risk management, portfolio management, sales and distribution, origination, product development, strategic planning and stakeholder engagement. In addition, he has been an active participant on various Underwriting, Risk Management and Credit Committees, for a number of significant equity and debt capital raisings in both the Australian and overseas capital markets. Read More

Elizabeth has brought together captains of industry, governments and Defence Force chiefs to address gender inequality in Australia and beyond.

As Australia’s longest serving Sex Discrimination Commissioner (2007-2015), Elizabeth worked tirelessly to break down structural and social barriers faced by women and men, and to promote gender equality.

A key advocate for Australia’s paid parental leave scheme, Elizabeth influenced changes to regulations to increase the numbers of women at decision-making level, and to elevate the voices of women in marginalised communitie. Read More

PROFESSOR PETER MILLER

Research Partnerships and Community Programs

Peter Miller is Professor of Violence Prevention and Addiction Studies at the School of Psychology, Deakin University. Peter has recently completed three of the largest studies ever conducted into licensed venues, comparing 11 Australian cities (and Wellington, NZ) over 5 years and talking to more than 15,000 patrons. Peter has edited one book and has over 100 peer-reviewed articles as well as numerous government reports. Read More.

HOWARD BROWN

Community Programs (Victims of Violence)

Howard is a 61 year-old failed legal student who after studying Law for six years found himself unable to pass the subject of Taxation. He then became a Private Investigator and was working as same in 1988 when one of his friends was murdered. It was at this point that Howard realised that what he had learned at Law School was not really accurate and that there was no real protection for Victims of Crime. Howard attended the inaugural meeting of VOCAL and became a member and went straight onto the committee, in 1989. Howard then established the Sydney arm of the Victims of Crime Assistance League (Vocal) in 1991. Read More.